Author

Kira Lerner

Kira Lerner

Kira was the democracy reporter for States Newsroom where she covered voting, elections, redistricting, and efforts to subvert democracy.

A voter places a ballot in a drop box outside of the Maricopa County Elections Department on Aug. 2, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2016, Arizona made it a felony to collect a voter’s ballot unless the collector is their relative, household member, or caregiver. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Woman jailed for collecting 4 ballots in Arizona sparks fear of voting in majority Latino city

By: - February 8, 2023

This story was produced in partnership with Type Investigations, with support from the Fund for Constitutional Government.  SAN LUIS, ARIZONA – The small city of San Luis is tucked away in the far corner of Arizona, closer to Mexico than to any major U.S. city. The community is nearly 95% Latino and tight-knit — the […]

Protestors outside the U.S. Supreme Court as oral arguments were heard in a pivotal North Carolina case dealing with election law Dec. 7, 2022. (Photo by Kira Lerner/States Newsroom)

Future of U.S. election law at stake as Supreme Court hears North Carolina case

By: and - December 7, 2022

WASHINGTON — North Carolina Republicans appeared to have at least three of the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative justices on their side Wednesday in a case that could determine the future of elections nationwide, and leave decisions about federal elections in the hands of state legislatures and beyond the reach of state courts.  The Supreme Court […]

Stephen Richer, Arizona's Maricopa County recorder, on Oct. 24, 2022. (Photo by Kira Lerner/States Newsroom)

‘Burning the candle at both ends’: Inside one of the nation’s busiest elections offices

By: - October 29, 2022

PHOENIX — During the first few days that Arizona’s Maricopa County began tabulating early votes, County Recorder Stephen Richer ran between interviews and meetings, responded on Twitter to dozens of voters with questions about the election and held a press conference for reporters. He managed this all while overseeing a staff and volunteers who were […]

(SDI Productions/Getty Images)

Prolonged challenges by losing candidates could overshadow November election results

By: - October 25, 2022

Joey Gilbert, a Reno-based attorney, lost the GOP primary for Nevada governor by roughly 26,000 votes in June, a margin of around 11 points. But he wasn’t ready to admit defeat.  Empowered by former President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud after the 2020 election, Gilbert refused to concede. He offered a $25,000 reward […]